Cotton-chopper.



J. P. CARTER. COTTON OHOPPEB.

ArrLxoA'HoN funn 1120.10. mo.

m1111161 Apr. 11, 1911.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. P. CARTER. COTTON OH'OPPEB. l APPLICATION FILED 'DEO.'10, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Apr. 11,*1911.

JAMES F. CARTER, OF CEDAR HILL, TEXAS.

COTTON-CHOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

Application filed December 10, 1910. Serial No. 596,576.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. CARTER, citizen of the United States,residing at Cedar Hill, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Choppers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to cotton chopers.

The object of the invention is to provide a hoe supported in a frame formovement transversely of `the row and a particular mechanism forswinging the hoe, together with an adjustment for the depth of the cutof the hoe, a variable speed transmission gearing and other novelfeatures.

Finally the object of the invention is to provide means of the characterdescribed that will be strong, durable, efficient, and easy ofoperation, simple and comparatively inexpensive to construct, and alsoin which the several parts will not be likely to get out of workingorder.

l/V ith the above and other objects in view, the invention has relationto certain novel features of construction and operation, an example ofwhich is described in this specification and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1. is a side elevation with portions broken away to exposeinterior constructions, Fig. 2. is a plan view, Fig. 3. is a transversevertical sectional view on the line S-S of Fig. 1, Fig. 4:. is a detailin elevation of one of the cam plates, and Fig. 5. is a detail inelevation of the hoe.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates a rectangular frame which isarched at 2 near its forward end to permit the front wheels to swingthereunder in making short turns. The frame is supported at its forwardend on a turning gear 3 fixed on an axle t which is supported in groundwheels 5. At the rear end the frame is mounted on a revolving axle 5having ground wheels 7 fixed `on its ends.

At each side of the frame a vertical standard 8 is secured. Eachstandard has a vertical slotted guide 9 secured at its lower end `to theframe 1. These guides are opposed and slightly in rear of the transversecenter of the frame. Between the standards a hoe frame 10 is mounted.This frame is rec-V tangular' in plan and in elevation and extendstransversely of the frame 1.

At the center of each end of the frame 10 a vertical shoe 11 isprovided. These shoes each have a shouldered portion 12 bearing againstor adjacent the guides 9 to limit the lateral movement of the frame 10.The shoes extend through and beyond the guides and are somewhat shorterwhereby a vertical adjustment of the hoe frame may be had.

On the rear side of the projecting portion of each shoe a gear bar 13 isprovided. These bars are engaged by segmental gears 1-/1 fixed on theends of an adjusting shaft 15 supported in the standards. Near thecenter of the shaft a lever 1G is fastened which has connection at itsupper end with an adjusting lever 17 by a rod 18. The lever 17 issupported on the rear end of the frame 1 and is provided with a springpressed plunger 19 engaging a segment 20. By swinging the adjustinglever the shaft 15 is rocked and the segmental gears 14 swung. The gearsswinging into and out of the teeth of the bars 13 raise and lower thesame, the hoe frame thus being adjusted vertically. The gears whenlocked by the locking of the lever 17 hold the hoe frame in position.

lVithiu the frame 10 and on opposite sides cam plates 21 are fastened bymeans of ears 2Q. These plates extend vertically and transversely of themain frame 1. Each cam plate has a cam 23 at its center surrounded by aguide way 24. At the upper end of the hoe frame a bar Q5 is supportedlongitudially of the main frame and carries a pair of fixed collars QGspaced apart. The upper forked end 27 of a hoe shaft 28 engages aboutthe bar between the collars and while free to move vertically is heldagainst lateral displacement.

On the hoe shaft a collar 29 is fixed and has oppositely directedtrunnions 30 carrying on their free ends, rollers 31. The rollers 31travel in the guide ways 24 about the lcams 23. Below the collar 29another collar 32 is fixed on the hoe shaft and between the collars asleeve 33 is rotatably confined on the hoe shaft as is best shown inFigs. 3 and 5.Y The lower end of a coil spring 34 is secured to thecollar 32. while the upper end is attached to an arm 35 depending fromthe hoe frame 10 within the main frame 1 and on the right hand side withrelation to Fig. 3. This spring is employed to swing the hoe shaftacross the row during the chopping operation and is normally inclinedupward so as to have a tendency to pull the rollers3l up and past thepoint 36 of each cam at the end of the stroke so that the returningmechanism when engaging the hoe shaft will cause the rollers to travelin the upper half of the guide ways during the return movement. Thecenter of the curve opposite the point 36 of each guide way is abovesaid point and the rollers will be drawn to this central point at theend of the chopping stroke. The lower half of each guide way 24 iscomparatively straight while the upper half is curved to cause the hoeshaft to be rais-ed and lowered during its return movement or swingacross the row.

Below the collar 32 a hanger 37 provided with opposed vertical slots 38is fixed on the lower end of the hoe shaft as best shown in Fig. 5.Tithin the hanger a plunger 39 is slidable. This plunger has atransverse pin 40 engaging in the slots 38 and carries on its upper enda central stem 4l projecting into a recess 42 in the hanger. A coilspring 43 surrounds the stem within the hanger and bears on the upperend of the plunger. It is apparent that the plunger is resiliently heldand is free to yield upward. On the lower end of the plunger a bracket44 is secured. This bracket depends from the lower end of the plungerand carries a hoe blade 45 at the proper angle.

For returning the hoe shaft a plate 46 is disposed transversely of theframe l and secured to the underside thereof. At the center of the platea horizontal wheel 47V is suitably mounted to rotate. A plurality ofequally spaced conical rollers 48 are mounted horizontally in bearingboxes 49 on the upper side of the wheel. These rollers project from theperiphery of the wheel and have their larger ends adjacent thereto. Thehoe shaft swings inthe path of the conical rollers. Suitable mechanismhereinafter described is provided for rotating the wheel 47 in thedirection of the arrow shown in Fig. 2. The hoe shaft at the extreme endof its stroke after completing the chopping operation stands with itssleeve 33 in the path of the rollers48. As the wheel 47 is rotated oneof its rollers engages the sleeve 33 and swings the hoe shaft to theleft with relation to Fig. 3. During this return movement the rollers 31travel in the upper half of the guide ways 24 whereby the hoe is raisedand lowered as it is swung across the row. The conical rollers engagingthe rotating sleeve will reduce friction and will have a tendency toraise the hoe shaft during the first half of its return movement duringwhich the surface of the roller will have various points in engagementwith the sleeve from the smaller outer end of the roller to its largerinner end. As the roller is conical and swings in the arc of a circle atright angles to the arc of a clrcle in which the hoe shaft swings, theline of contact of the sleeve against the roller will be in the form ofa helix and the sleeve will reach the highest point on the roller atabout the center of the return stroke.

1t is apparent that when the hoe shaft is returned the spring 34 will heextended and the weight of the hoe shaft will cause the rollers 31 toreadily drop off of the end of the cam 23 into the lower half of theguide ways so that just as soon as the roller rides oil' of the sleevethe spring will swing the hoe shaft across the row and carry out thechopping operation. The ends of the rollers 48 are rounded so that theywill readily ride off of the sleeve and suflicient space is provided atthe left hand end of the guide ways with relation to Figs. 3 and 4 topermit the rollers 31 to ride off of the ends of the cams just prior tothe disengagement of the rollers 48 from the sleeve 33.

For rotating the wheel 47 the following driving mechanism is employed:On the reary axle 6 a sprocket 50 is fixed. This sprocket drives a chain51 vand a similar sprocket 52 loose on a transverse shaft 53 supportedon the frame 1 forward of the axle 6. The sprocket 52 has a clutch hub54 with which aclutch sleeve 55 splined on the shaft is adapted toengage. A bell-crank lever 56 pivoted on a bracket 5'? extending fromthe rear end of the frame l, has forked engagement with the sleeve Fromthe free end of the lever a rod 59 extends and has connection with afoot lever 58 pivoted on the main frame. A seat standard 60 is alsosecured on the rear end of the main frame adjacent the foot lever. Bypressing the foot lever forward the clutch sleeve 55 is thrown out ofengagement with the clutch hub 54 and the transmission of motion to theshaft 53 interrupted. `When` pressure is relieved on the foot lever acoil spring 61 extending from the bracket 57 to the lever 56 will throwthe clutch into engagement.

One end of the shaft 53 projects over the side of the frame 1 and hasfixed thereon, a friction disk 62. A transmission shaft 63 is supportedat the side of the frame parallel thereto in brackets 64 fastened on theframe. A sleeve 65 is splined on this shaft and carries a frictionpinion 66 on one end, while a grooved collar 67 is provided on the otherend. The pinion has its face in engagement with the side of the disk. Alever 68 pivoted on the frame has one end forked and engaging thegrooved collar, while the other end extends inward and has connection bya rod 69 with an adjusting lever 70 mountedion the rear end of the mainframe. By swinging the adjusting lever 70 the pinion 66 is moved alongthe side of the disk toward and from the center of the same, a variabletransmission gearing being thus provided.

On the forward end of the shaft 63 a miter gear 7l is fixed. This gearmeshes with a similar gear 72 fixed on the end of a transverse shaft 73.The shaft 73 is supported in bearing brackets 74 mounted on the frame 1and extends over and above the wheel 47. A miter gear 75 is fixed on theshaft 7 3 and meshes with a similar gear secured on the wheel 47.

It is obvious that the speed of rotation of the wheel 47 and theope-ration of the hoe shaft may be varied by adjusting the transmissiongearing. The forward end of the main frame is open and there ispractically nothing to prevent the operator having an unobstructed viewof the row in advance of the hoe. If the stand should be thin and it isnot desired to chop out the plants at intervals, the operator merelypresses the foot lever 58 forward and interrupts the transmission ofmotion to the shaft 53 and the wheel 4:7. It will be noted that when thehoe is not in operation the spring 34 holds it to one side sol that theblade l5 will not strike the plants.

lVhat I claim is:

l. In a cotton chopper, the combination with a main frame mounted onground wheels and having a driving axle, of a transverse hoe frameadjustable in the main frame, a hoe shaft mounted in the hoe frame, camplates having guide-ways and mounted in the hoe frame, rollers supportedon the shaft engaging in the guide-ways, a blade mounted on the lowerend of the shaft, a sleeve rotatably confined on the shaft, a horizontalrotatable wheel supported on the main frame, a plurality of rollersprojecting from said wheel adapted to engage the sleeve of the shaft, acoil spring having connection with the shaft and the hoe frame, andgearing connections between the driving axle and the horizontal wheelincluding a variable speed transmission gearing.

2. In a cotton chopper, the combination with a main frame supported onground wheels and driving mechanism mounted on the frame, a transversehoe frame adjustable vertically in the main frame, a hoe shaft mountedto swing from its upper end in the hoe frame, a pair of cam platesmounted in the hoe frame, each plate having a guideway, rollers mountedon the shaft intermediate its ends and engaging in the guideways, a coilspring engaging the shaft below the rollers and having connection withthe hoe frame for swinging the shaft in one direction, and a rotatingdevice mounted on the main frame adapted to intermittently engage thehoe shaft to swing it in the opposite direction against the tension ofthe spring, the rotating device having connection with the drivingmechanism.

r. In a cotton chopper, the combination with a portable frame and adriving gearing, of a hoe frame adjustably mounted on the portableframe, a bar at the upper end of the hoe frame, a hoe shaft having itsupper end forked and embracing the bar, collars on the bar between whichthe shaft engages, cam plates secured in the hoe frame on opposite sidesnear its lower end, each plate having a, cam surrounded by a guideway, asleeve rotatably mounted on the shaft, trunnions extending from theshaft above the sleeve, rollers mounted on the trunnions and engaging inthe vguide-ways, a coil spring connected to the shaft below the sleeveand fastened to the hoe frame, a resilient connection in the shaft belowthe sleeve, a hoe blade secured on the shaft below the connection, ahorizontal rotatable wheel mounted on the portable frame, and spacedconical rollers mounted on the wheel adapted to engage the sleeve of thehoeI shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES La.f CARTER.

"Witnesses W. G. IIAswnLL, D. B. Suena.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

